the hundred page crawl
I’m not talking about the last hundred pages. I wish I was. But no, I’m talking about a completely different animal here.
Does any writer out there have an easy time writing from page 200 to page 300 in their books? (I’m talking ST’s - for Category, this stage would hit you at about p. 140 or so.) Anyone at all? If you do, is there some secret I’m missing while I’m on the slow crawl from page 225 - since I’ve spent hours working, adding / chopping / still enjoying the characters - only to end up on page 227. (At least I’m ahead, because at one point today I went back to 224.)
It just doesn’t seem right at all. Pages 1 - 140 fly. 140 to 200 goes a little bit slower, but there’s still a nice progression. And then I hit 200. 50K. The halfway mark and I’m staring down the end. At this point, I know what’s supposed to happen, for the most part. I wouldn’t exactly call it plotted or anything, but I’ve got all the threads weaving together well. I’ve got plenty of conflict. Plenty of story left to tell. And I just want to get to page 300 so I can let things start to unravel to that downward slide to the end. (This is where I should mention that I’ve already got part of the end written - I always write a few end scenes while I’m writing the opening. I can’t help it. The scenes show up in my mind and I write them down. I’m always grateful they’re there in the end.)
Is it because I’m impatient? Is it maybe because I do know now exactly what’s going to happen, and that takes the fun out of the middle section?
Someone please tell me the secrets of pp. 200 - 300.
Steph T.
September 20th, 2005 at 10:16 am
YES! I know exactly what you mean. Those pages kill me!! I always feel like I’m all over the place and not going anywhere!! Sadly I have no secrets but I’d love to hear some if others have them.:frazzled:
September 20th, 2005 at 12:00 pm
I have no secrets either, but yes, I have that problem and yes, it BLOWS!
It seems like that part should be fun, but NOPE.
September 20th, 2005 at 1:09 pm
The secret is to nail your ass to the chair and just f*$#@ing do it.
September 20th, 2005 at 6:38 pm
Exactly!!! Ihave the same problem.
September 20th, 2005 at 6:55 pm
Yup I know this phenomenon of which you speak. For me its more like 150-300 then 300-360 is all a downhill run
September 20th, 2005 at 7:46 pm
Cece, I’m close. For me it’s 100-300. The first 100 I can bang out in no time and then the last is all downhill, but I crawl through the middle
September 20th, 2005 at 8:37 pm
The secret? Keep writing. And, when all is lost, drop in a nice character ToDo list (which, of course, you’ll have to edit out later, but at least it helps prepare to move the story forward.
September 20th, 2005 at 9:10 pm
Wish I knew the secret. But I do like Sasha’s idea.
September 20th, 2005 at 10:17 pm
I think it’s called, or related to, the ’sagging middle’. It’s not that you don’t have anything to write, it just seems to be dragging along…
What to do? Can’t speak for anybody else–but once in a while, I’ll toss something unexpected in, something I hadn’t planned. Doesn’t change the ENDING, but it does seem to raise my interest level a bit…
(I LOVE your smilies, lol!)
September 21st, 2005 at 12:44 pm
As a writer who is unfortunately at the same damn crawl :frazzled:, I can’t offer much in the way of advice. However, I do commiserate.
If I’m writing a suspense, I usually kill somebody. *rubbing hands together with glee* But unfortunately that doesn’t play well in romance.
I suppose I could do the butt in chair thing. But wait…I have deadlines. *laughing*
Grins*
September 21st, 2005 at 2:56 pm
It’s usually pretty much like pulling teeth for the whole book for me.
September 21st, 2005 at 9:41 pm
I found an article here that might help a little, Steph.
Saving this part of any novel from becoming the Sargasso Sea of the story is a real pain. I pay more attention to this section of the book when I’m plotting and use as much action as possible. Nothing puts the reader (and the writer) to sleep like two or three chapters of characters basically standing around and chatting about nothing while they’re waiting for the time to move into position for the finale. My inclination is to use this part of the book to wrap up minor subplots and add something to give a little more oomph to the end.
If that doesn’t work, I blow up something.
September 22nd, 2005 at 11:34 am
There are no secrets, writing from 200 to 300 is just plain HARD. Like PBW, I try to make something exciting happen to take my mind off the fact that I’m writing the dreaded middle.
September 22nd, 2005 at 1:01 pm
Just do it. Don’t think, write. That’s what I tell myself.
Since I don’t outline, I struggle at the midpoint b/c I haven’t quite exactly figured out what’s going to happen.
I also tell myself, for every minute I spent complaining or procrastinating, I could’ve written 20-50 words. Usually that helps me focus on being productive.
M
September 22nd, 2005 at 6:34 pm
PBW, I like the way you think… blowing up things is always good.
Steph, hope you’re getting it figured out. I came back to see the nuggets others had shared so I can kick this book in the butt.